


Shifter's Language

by silver_drip



Category: Iron Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-26
Updated: 2016-04-26
Packaged: 2018-06-04 17:59:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6668668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silver_drip/pseuds/silver_drip
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Natasha was certain that this would be the day Tony Stark died.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shifter's Language

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Akira_of_the_Twilight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akira_of_the_Twilight/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Cat Nipped](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5701948) by [Akira_of_the_Twilight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akira_of_the_Twilight/pseuds/Akira_of_the_Twilight). 



> Had this one on the mind for a while. Might change the title later.

* * *

 

Everyone knew that Tony Stark was a shifter. It was just common knowledge. What wasn’t common knowledge was what he shifted _into._

It rankled Natasha. Even when she worked for him undercover she hadn’t been able to figure it out.

She even spent weeks trailing him in her sparrow form, dug through SHIELD data, and called on every source she could find, all to no end.

She pushed the curiosity to the back of her mind. Now that they were all living together she knew the answer would reveal itself eventually.

Months went by to no avail.

The Avengers were working well together though. Clint used his hawk form to get to the best vantage points, Bruce had good control over the Hulk, Thor always appeared when he was most needed, and Steve took everything in strides.

“What are you?” Natasha asked, forgoing all subtly.

“Oh my god, Nat, you can’t just ask someone what they are!” Clint said in a valley girl voice. Natasha punched Clint in the side without looking away from Tony.

“Billionaire, playboy—”

“Cut the shit. We’re a team. The more we know about each other’s abilities the better we can function as a unit.”

“Nat, I know you dug into my background, looking for ‘what I am’ before we were teammates. So you ‘cut the shit’.” It was rare to see Tony angry. It had come on so suddenly that she was taken aback, but showed no outside reaction.

She sensed Steve entering the room. He was annoyingly protective when it came to the private lives of his teammates.

Natasha nodded at Tony and left the room.

* * *

They’d just finished off the supervillain of the week. SHIELD was on scene suspiciously fast.

What was even stranger was the fact Director Fury was there and looking very irate.

All the baby agents were quaking in their SHIELD issued boots.

Natasha saw Steve making a beeline for the director. She fell in step with him, curiosity overriding her self-preservation.

Fury was yelling at Coulson who had a completely blank expression on his face. His eyes were glazed over.

She was startled when Iron Man landed next to Fury and Coulson. The armor opened up and Tony hopped out, bumping into Fury.

Natasha and Steve froze in place. Fury slowly tilted his head towards Tony.

He was a dead man.

The whole area had fallen silent.

“Relax, Nickelodeon,” Tony said while slinging his arm over Fury’s shoulders. “It’s not Agent’s fault.”

His death was going to be painful. No one bumped into Fury, let alone touched him on purpose.

Natasha was both amazed by Tony and afraid for him.

“Stark.” The threat was clear in Fury’s voice.

Tony went further and nudged his head against Fury’s while blinking slowly.

Natasha forgot how to breathe.

“Shit happens.” He nudged Fury again and, beyond all belief, Fury relaxed slightly.

“I ought to skin you,” Fury hissed under his breath.

“But you won’t.” Tony squeezed Fury’s shoulder before stepping back into his suit and taking off.

Natasha no longer had to guess what type of shifter Tony was. He was clearly a higher being that did not fear death.


End file.
